The present invention relates generally to a printing apparatus, and more specifically to a printing apparatus for imprinting characters onto a surface wherein the printing force is advanced across the surface being imprinted on a line-contact basis, and wherein a printing force is obtained through a rotating pressure ring driven or otherwise rotated by motion of the assembly carrying the pressure ring. In one application, the apparatus may be utilized to imprint characters on work in the form of a pre-printed paper web, it being understood, of course, that the printing apparatus may be utilized for any of a variety of printing operations wherein line-contact or serial advancing of the printing force is utilized across the surface being printed. In still another application of the printer apparatus of the present invention, a tape and ribbon lettering machine may utilize the printer apparatus to apply a working force to achieve the imprinting of a character onto a ribbon, utilizing an ink ribbon to transfer the indicia onto the tape.
In the printing arts, it is frequently desirable to utilize a printer apparatus which applies a force against a document to be printed, and wherein an ink ribbon is interposed between the surface to be printed and that of a numbering machine or the like. Numbering machines utilizing a plurality of rotatable or indexing rings are frequently utilized. The printing apparatus of the present invention is also adapted for use in connection with the printing of sequentially or otherwise specifically identified or numerically identified and arranged documents such as commercial checks, invoice forms, money orders, and the like. The individual documents are frequently and preferably pre-printed with the conventional information and indicia arranged thereon, with the exception being the imprinting of sequentially arranged numerical or alpha-numerical indicia or code. This type of printed document is available commercially in web form. The device of the present invention is intended for use by a printer to imprint numerical data onto the forms. In addition, the printing apparatus of the present invention may be utilized to apply magnetic ink to a document, such as a commercial check, or other type of business form.
The present invention provides a means for printing by means of a printing apparatus utilizing line-contact printing on the surface of the sheet being printed, without risking smudging of the surface, the pressure ring being rotated at a rate of speed which is substantially equal to the speed of the pressure ring across the surface being printed.